1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lock-up clutch control apparatus for controlling an engaging force of a lock-up clutch which transmits an output power of an engine to an input axis of the transmission while distributing the output power of the transmission with the torque converter.
This application is based on Patent Application No. Hei 9-353786 filed in Japan, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Background Art
An example of the lock-up clutch control apparatus for transmitting the output power of the engine to the input axis of the transmission while distributing the output power of the transmission with the torque converter is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 7-332479. This type of conventional lock-up clutch control apparatus controls the lock-up clutch following a map containing control parameters in relation to car speeds or openings of an accelerator pedal.
However, since conventional maps are set by car speed or the opening of the accelerating pedal, conventional maps do not reflect the driver's will to accelerate or to reduce the car speed in terms of dynamic operating variations such as depression and release of the accelerator pedal. Accordingly, when the driver depresses the accelerator pedal for accelerating the car, the car speed is sometimes reduced due to a reduction in engine revolutions, because the lock-up clutch is rendered tight by the map control. Thereby, a problem arises that the driver experiences an uneasy feeling which degrades the drivability of the car.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a lock-up clutch apparatus which is capable of reflecting the driver's will for acceleration or reduction of the car speed by the driver's dynamic operating variations such as depression and release of the accelerator pedal; and thereby is capable of improving drivability.